More "knockout game" in the news - 6 “Knockout”-Style Attacks Hit The City

[K.O. Stradivarius]

I guess these attacks are getting rarer and uncommon as believed by some here.

Medical researcher Lawrence Hsieh, schooled in Taekwondo, didn’t have time to defend himself when a kid KO’ed him on Church Street in one of six assaults in two days that appear to mimic a violent game hitting the East Coast.

Walking on the overpass between North and South Frontage at 5:30 p.m., Hsieh (pictured above) encountered a group of three young men. Without warning, one approached him and sucker-punched him in the nose, knocking Hsieh to the ground. The assailant and his buddies took off down the street, laughing.

“The whole ordeal was over in 30 seconds,” said Hsieh, who may have broken his nose as a result.

Hseih’s attacker was following the script of the so-called “Knockout Game,” which consists of punching random strangers. To become a “Knockout King,” the player must bring his target to the ground with one jab.

The game has been reported in recent days in several East Coast cities, including New York, New Jersey, and Washington D. C. Incidents date back to 2011.

Five other similar attacks took place near Hsieh’s in the early evening hours on Monday and Tuesday. All were near the train station, the Church Street South housing project, and Church Street, according to top Hill South cop Lt. Joe Witkowski.

“The common thing seems to be there’s no attempt at theft. It’s an unprovoked assault,” Witkowski said.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/22/justice/knockout-game-teen-assaults/

There'll be no tears or remorse from me when these sub-human pieces of shit ends up in the morgue.

[NightWatcher]

1. Did this exist before the news started talking about it?

[B2G]

2. Way before. n/t

[K.O. Stradivarius]

4. In various forms... yes

If there's an uptick, resurgence or becoming more prevalent, it's probably due more to social media, Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, cell phone cameras, etc, than it is to traditional new sources.

[pipi_k]

5. Maybe, maybe not...

I really don't know.

But even if they never reported it on the news, kids have cellphones.

With cameras they can use to take movies and then post them to You Tube.

And before cellphones and You Tube, there were regular landlines and word of mouth.

It's going to get around, one way or another...

[snooper2]

9. There are hundresd of videos on YouTube going back years...of course it did

Seems like some parents need to get a handle on what their shitty ass kids are up to...

[Hoyt]

3. What is your solution, KO? Shoot first if a group of men approach if you don't like their looks.

Sounds like there was not much the victim could do. I think police and community can handle this, but I realize gun fanciers are promoting their own solution.

[geek tragedy]

6. Best approach would be police sting operations followed by RICO conspiracy

charges for all those who participate, share videos, encourage this etc. A couple of high profile sentences of 25 years for perps in the news should act as a deterrent.

[Hoyt]

7. Can't argue with that.

[K.O. Stradivarius]

8. The right to self defense is never denied.

I'm not a "gun fancier", gun nut nor do I own one (although I do know several people who are gun owners).

However, if properly trained and licensed individuals wish to carry a concealed firearm (or open carry), for the purpose of self defense, who am I, or anyone else to deny them that right.

And for the record, there are other legitimate options to self defense other that a firearm.

Man who stabbed Meriden teens called 'innocent victim

MERIDEN, CT (WFSB) -

A state's attorney has ruled the man responsible for stabbing two teenagers in Meriden in September, killing one of them, will not face charges.

State's Attorney Michael Dearington said the unidentified man was "not an aggressor, but was indeed an innocent victim." The man is not being named for his protection.

On the night of Sept. 21, the Meriden Police Department received a 911 call from a woman who said two young men had been stabbed on Kensington Avenue near Midstate Medical Center.

Police said there was an officer at the hospital investigating an unrelated incident, and that officer quickly responded to the scene. Medical staff quickly began rendering aid to both teenagers, but 15-year-old DeAndre Felton died from his injuries.

The other victim, a 13-year-old boy identified as DeShawn Jones, was brought to Hartford Hospital where he underwent surgery and survived.

According to Dearington's findings, seven witnesses were not only with the teens moments before the incident took place, but they also saw the events leading up to the stabbing and all of the statements were consistent with each other as to what took place.

According to those witnesses, they were all together leaving the Westfield Shopping Center shortly before 9 p.m. to visit the home of one of the people in the group.

According to the witnesses and Dearington's report, both DeAndre and DeShawn discussed smoking marijuana and appeared to most of the group as being "high." It was also stated DeAndre had "red eyes" and was "acting weird."

As they left the mall, the group cut through the Midstate Medical Center property and one or both of the teens were heard saying that "he wanted to hit someone," and said he liked fighting or wanted to fight someone, according to the findings.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/20107152/man-who-stabbed-meriden-teens-called-innocent-victim

[Hoyt]

11. Very different from situation you described in OP, where victim did not have

opportunity to shoot, stab, fight, run, call 911, shout, use pepper spray, etc. In OP, it was over before victim knew what happened. The only way for an individual to stop that is for a gun or knife fancier to identify "a threat" at a distance. So how are you going to do that?

[Katashi_itto]

14. I'm somewhat skilled in martial arts and frankly your only defense is

to try and maintain a good level of vigilance toward groups. Make a personal choice about personal armament, if any or self-defense classes if you manage to avoid the intial knock-out.

[K.O. Stradivarius]

15. And your point being?

What does it matter if the assault on the victim in the first example was over before he knew what happened?

Just because it worked out badly for him, that still doesn't deny him, or anyone else, the right to take lethal defensive action on their assailants by any means available.

"The only way for an individual to stop that is for a gun or knife fancier to identify "a threat" at a distance. So how are you going to do that?"

"A distance"? Like the guy with the knife?

He might not have stopped it from happening, but he stopped a bad situation from becoming worse.

[Hoyt]

17. It's obvious how you'd identify a threat. I bet you love stand your ground laws.

[K.O. Stradivarius]

19. Whatever

[KamaAina]

10. Since when is New Haven called "The City"?!

NYC, of course. San Francisco, sure. But New Haven?!

I've walked those streets down to the train station many, many times.

[jsr]

12. They also hit a 68-year-old woman:

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/rash_of_attacks_may_be_linked_to_knockout_game/

[Capt. Obvious]

13. We need to be more concerned with wilding than this knockout game.

[flvegan]

16. It's a "phony panic" actually. I read that on DU.

Carry on.

[K.O. Stradivarius]

18. If it's true, false, exaggerated is immaterial.

The unprovoked assaults are genuine and a fact.
Whether or not they're motivated by this "knockout game" crap is unknown, or in dispute.

Regardless of the intent, that still doesn't deny a victim, or potential victim, the right to defend themselves... with lethal force if necessary, by any means possible or available to them.